When Will You Feel Happy?
by Semi-Retired Writer
Summary: One rooftop conversation exposes everything. Oneshot version.


**When Will You Feel Happy?**

"When will you feel happy?"

The voice surprised Kaito, who had thought he was alone on the rooftop. He'd thought the police "party" wouldn't notice him leaving for a little while. They'd called it a party, but he'd discovered that to the police, a party was simply a polite networking opportunity during which nobody chatted with the civilian guests. Nakamori-keibu had been busy all night, getting to know the officers from outside his own department, and Kaito had just stood around trying to look friendly enough. After realizing who it was that had followed him to the roof, Kaito wasn't so surprised; after all, Aoko was probably just as bored at the party as he was.

"What do you mean, Aoko?" Kaito responded with his own question. "What makes you think I'm not happy?"

"I'm not as oblivious as you think I am," Aoko started. "I've been your best friend since we were kids! Do you really think I can't tell how you feel after knowing you so long!?"

"Aoko—" Kaito tried to interrupt, hoping to calm down the clearly angry Aoko. His interruption was interrupted.

"Don't you dare stop me now!" she cried. "I'm going to say what I need to say, and you need to let me. Is that clear?"

"Fine," Kaito quietly agreed, seeing just how angry she'd gotten. "Go on. I won't stop you."

Aoko looked down over the edge of the rooftop, collecting her thoughts to prepare for her lecture.

"Look. We used to be really close, and you just don't come back from that. I know we've grown apart since we started high school together, but that doesn't mean I don't still get you. I could tell how happy you were at every one of your dad's magic shows, I could tell how devastated you were at his funeral, I could tell how terrified you were that one time I made you go to the aquarium with me, and I can see now that you're not happy. But that's not it. It's not just that you're not happy, but you're not sad either; you're not angry or focused or annoyed. I don't mean just right now. I mean all the time starting a couple months ago. Whatever happened then, ever since, you've been scared and lonely, but you keep trying to hide it from everyone. Maybe this act has worked on everyone else, but I'm not blind."

Aoko sighed, preparing to tell Kaito the part that scared her the most.

"I could be wrong," she continued, "but I've thought a lot about all of this. You started this whole act of pretending to be happy a few months ago, and… I think it's more than just a coincidence that everything changed not long after Kaitou KID returned."

Kaito, shocked, immediately put on his alter ego's famous poker face. Before he could say anything, Aoko spoke up again.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the one missing puzzle piece that makes everything fit together. And the fact that you aren't even saying anything after that says a lot. But even if you tried to defend yourself and lie about this, there's just too much evidence against you. How did that stolen jewel get into the fish that I happened to buy for my father? How did Kuroba Kaito, who used to be the most talkative person I know, manage to sit through a movie during a KID heist without a peep? How come Hakuba-san keeps coming back to talk with you when he so clearly hates your guts? What's with all the freaky stuff Koizumi-san says to you? Maybe alone, those things aren't strange, but all together like that? It all adds up, Kaito. You're either KID himself or you're one of his assistants."

Kaito openly gaped now. How the hell had she put up with him for so long if she knew the whole time who he really was? Now was his one chance to convince Aoko he wasn't all bad. He couldn't blow this, or he might never get to talk to Aoko again. "Aoko… you're right, but please let me explain before you decide you hate me forever."

"One day a few months ago, I stumbled into a secret room of Dad's that I didn't even know existed. I'd rather not say exactly where it is, but that day, it just sort of opened on its own; I wouldn't have even known to open it otherwise. Inside, I found… well, a bunch of stuff, but most importantly was the suit, the cape, the hat, and the monocle. They weren't cheap copies or anything; someone put a lot of money into getting quality pieces of Kaitou KID's outfit. However, at the same time we'd been seeing in the newspapers that KID had just returned. I needed to figure out what was going on, so I dressed up as KID and went to the next heist. There, I found out the other KID was the original KID's assistant when he mistook me for my father. I found out my dad had done this up until he died, always returning the jewel, which could be discovered from any old newspaper, but later I found out why. There was a heist soon after KID returned where I met the men who killed Dad; I found out from them that Dad had been searching for a certain jewel to protect it from these men. This jewel, when a certain comet passes, is said to shed a single tear that would grant immortality to whoever drinks it."

"That's crazy!" Aoko yelled. "There's no way that's anything more than an awful fairy tale."

"I actually agree with you," Kaito continued, "but these men were clearly dangerous, and in case this jewel exists, these are the exact people who can't be trusted with it. I haven't been able to find any information about this comet, but once it passes, I won't have to worry about finding this gem anymore, and I swear I'll immediately give up being KID. Your opinion of me is much more important to me than anything I could get from being KID, Aoko."

Now it was Aoko's turn to gape at Kaito. "I really don't know what to say, Kaito."

"Aoko, I don't expect anything of you. You're free to do what you think is best for you. But I need you to know that you are what will make me happy again. The reason I haven't been happy lately is because I was so scared you wouldn't forgive me that I couldn't even bring myself to ask you to consider it. If you can bring yourself to forgive what I've done now that you know everything… nothing would make me happier than to be your boyfriend."

The rooftop was silent for what felt like an eternity. Kaito could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest, excited by something not KID-related for the first time in months.

"I need some time to forgive you, Kaito, and I need you to understand that without getting upset," Aoko explained. "I… I love you, but I need to think about whether I'll be okay with this before I decide."

Kaito was still faced with uncertainty, but for the first time in months, he allowed himself to feel real hope.

"I understand," he said. "Just promise to let me know as soon as you decide."


End file.
